Monday, June 04, 2007

Friday morning [ 3 days ago], woke up at 5:30 am for an hour long cycle ride. To my dismay, the rear wheel has lost pressure and at this hour, i sure cannot expect the neighbourhood cycle shop to be open. I bid the time away and at 6:15 am, the shop opens [ Yay!!]. I check my wallet and realise i don't have "change". Tyre topping up costs Rs.1 per tyre . But the wallet topping the previous night left me with 5 hundred rupee notes!

The fun begins now.

Me : Boss, i don't have "change" with me now. I got a Rs.100 note with me . And at 6:15 am, all the other shop guys are fast asleep, for me to get "change" from them. Can i give you the Rs.2 at 8 am?

Cycle Shop Guy : No, in that case, tyre inflation cannot be done.

Me : Boss, you know me very well. I come here every alternate day for a top-up. [ Having a sports bike is a pain - you need to top up the type pressure every alternate day for peak cycle performance]

Cycle Shop Guy : Sorry sir. Not possible. Get me the Rs.2 right now or your tyres don't get topped-up.

Me : [ In real frustration, just thinking to myself that i should either get a new "foot pump" or find a new cycle repair shop, to help filling up air]

I then parked the bike in my flat and decided to go for a run, instead of the planned cycle ride. Many thoughts went through my head, as i ran around the boat club area -

Is my relationship with that cycle shop guy, bad? - Afterall, i go to him every alternate day and share stories of my cycling trips with him and we are quite friendly.

Is he the worst business man? - He just antagonised a regular customer. I go to him so regularly, that i would surely pay the Rs.2 , next time i go there.

Am going to get a new foot pump from the sports store! I was so tempted to go ahead and get the pump, that day itself

These thoughts were slowly laid to rest and as i reach my home , i wanted to go back to the shop to inflate the tyres [ With the intention of actually letting him know that he should've trusted me earlier in the morning].

I go there with a bunch of Rs.2 coins and park the cycle in front of the shop. I take the Rs.2 coin, trust it in the guy's hands and i ask him to inflate the tyres. He does the job and asks me to check the tyres for "correct" inflation ! I cycle around the place and give him a "Thumbs up".

He then comes to me and says this " Sir, Saaarrie sir. You were the "first customer" when you came at 6:15 am. And i didnt want start the day off by giving "credit" to someone. I believe, if i did that, then the outlook for the rest of the day would be similar"! [Motal customerkku "kadan" kodutha, naal fulla kadan thaaan sir]